Does anyone know if a messaging system can be coded to work with OpenEMR? The messaging system I am talking about would allow the staff to send messages to the physicians about any patient that calls in and has a question. These questions will all be tied into the patients chart for further review. I just want to know if someone already developed something like this so I don’t re-invent the wheel.
Edward
p.s. The system we are moving from has that feature which everyone is used to.
This is a very good concept, but you don’t want to re-invent email.
I have already done this kind of thing with another browser-based product using SquirrelMail, Postfix and Courier-IMAP. There are ways to plug in an existing user database for authentication. I think it would be great to adapt something like this to OpenEMR.
One idea I had of incorporating this into OpenEMR is similiar to how you add the allergies to a patients chart. You would have that type of interface to add a message and then on the physicians login, you’ll have a message (almost like the authorization messages) so the physician knows they got email. they click on that and it brings them to the patients chart where they can read the message and respond. When they respond it’ll put a hyperlink on the nurse’s main screen that they have a message.
We use a simple system in our ofice of recording all the calls in the pnotes section. All responses go there as well. The down side is that the front desk can not see the responses and these have to be relayed by hand to the front desk.
In my mind the system should work like a bulletin board. Both the practitioner and the front desk can see the thread. Once the thread is completed is is authorized by the authorized practitioner. The thread is still available for later review.
These work like "help-desk" programs. More sophisticated progrrams exist as "contact managers" though "contact managers have a lot features not used by a medical practice.
The contact managers can track "contacts" and alert the practice if certain events have not occurred. Such as:
I want to make sure my diabetics are being seen every three months. The contact manager can report all diabetics not seen in the last three months. This can come as a pop on a routine basis, say monthly.
Well, the problem is that you don’t know if their is going to be a patient asking questions or not. Besides, the idea of having voicemail sent is not good either. The doctor wants to be able to attend patients instead of listening to voice messages.